African American History

Scott Shane, author of "Flee North: A forgotten hero and the fight for freedom in slavery's borderland"

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Author Scott Shane on "Flee North" and the Underground Railroad

Tom Hall

Author and former New York Times journalist Scott Shane discusses his latest novel, "Flee North: A forgotten hero and the fight for freedom in slavery's borderland."

Soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (the Old Guard) and the United States Army Field Band perform during Defenders’ Day, Baltimore’s oldest holiday, at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, Md., Sept. 10, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Josue Patricio)

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The African American heroes of the Battle of Baltimore; Bmore Historic's 'unconference' approach

Sheilah Kast

We’ll go On the Record with Fort McHenry’s new assistant superintendent. Who were the African-American soldiers and sailors who held off British invaders in 1814? Plus, a novel way to trade ideas on oral history and historic preservation.

Author, journalist Jonathan Eig's new biography of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is the first comprehensive portrait of the slain civil rights leader in more than 30 years. (Eig photo credit Doug McGoldrick; cover art courtesy Farrar, Straus and Giroux/MacMillan Publishers)

Programs

"King: A Life": A compelling new portrait of the social justice icon

Tom Hall

Bestselling author Jonathan Eig joins us to discuss his new book about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the first comprehensive biography of the slain social justice activist in nearly 40 years.

Tonya and David Thomas are the award-winning chefs of the Baltimore based H3irloom Food Group. Photo by Miki Hellerbach.

WYPR News

On and beyond Juneteenth, H3irloom Food Group uses history to elevate flavor

Miki Hellerbach

Award-winning married Baltimore chef duo David and Tonya Thomas use African American food history to free Black chefs from confined European culinary standards.

Juanita Jackson Mitchell was the first Black woman to practice law in Maryland and the first Black female graduate of the University of Maryland's Carey School of Law. The building housing the late jurist's original office on Druid Hill Avenue in Upton is being restored and converted into a legal and social services center for the local community. The Beloved Community Services Corporation, a non-profit development group directed by Alvin Hathaway, purchased the property and is overseeing the renovation. The group recently received a $1.75 million US congressional grant to support the project. (photo courtesy Sen. Michael Mitchell)

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Honoring MD's first Black woman lawyer, Juanita Jackson Mitchell

Tom Hall

The former office of the pioneering Black jurist is to be restored as a legal and social services hub for Baltimore's Marble Hill community. Her son, former state senator Michael B. Mitchell, discusses his mother's legacy.

"Jacob Gruber"

Ric Cottom

Tensions rise on the Maryland-Pennsylvania border after Pennsylvania abolishes slavery and fugitives escape north to freedom.

Photo from "The reliable book of outdoor games. Containing official rules for playing base ball, foot ball, cricket, lacrosse, tennis, croquet, etc" (1893) Internet Book Archive /flickr/creative commons

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"Ten Bears"

Ric Cottom

Morgan State Lacrosse stuns Washington & Lee!

Photo: Harriet Tubman. Credit: Harvey B Lindsey/LOC/Flickr/Creative Commons

Programs

"Moses"

Ric Cottom

Harriet Tubman and her work to free enslaved people on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Mr. Louis Diggs, a historian of Baltimore County’s Black communities, attends a ceremony to commemorate the Howard Cooper Marker at 220 Courthouse Court in Towson. Credit: Anthony DePanise, GovPics

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Remembering Louis Diggs, who chronicled Baltimore County’s Black communities

We’ll go On the Record to recall the man who illuminated the history of African Americans in Baltimore County. We hear the late Louis S. Diggs tell how he started chronicling the Black experience in 40 communities, as well as Blacks in Maryland’s military.

Ben Todd Jealous, former president of the NAACP and a 2018 Democratic candidate for Maryland governor, is one of the nation's leading civil rights activists. He's also an educator, business investor and author, and in November 2022, he became the executive director of the Sierra Club, one of the nation's oldest and most influential environmental organizations. (photo credit Christopher Jason Studios/cover art courtesy Harper Collins)

Programs

From Ben Jealous, a new memoir about family, race, national unity

Tom Hall

In a new collection of personal essays, the bi-racial civil rights activist, author, executive and educator opens up about his family's unique heritage and his hopes for a just, equitable American democracy.